Chapter 134 — Respectfully Inviting Imperial Preceptor Jingping

Atop Jade Mountain, within the Imperial Academy Hall.

The directors, chancellors, and secretaries of the various halls of the Imperial Academy had all arrived in full force, their faces shifting between gloom and uncertainty. From time to time someone from outside came rushing in with a report, and at each piece of news the faces of the assembly grew uglier still. Only upon the sage's seat did the young grandmaster remain calm and at ease, utterly indifferent to victory or defeat. Just then, the reports coming from outside followed one after another: "We report to the Grand Chancellor: the Daoist sect's Daozi has defeated the Second Prince! " "The Daozi has defeated the Hereditary Prince of Nanping, Jiu Yin!

" "The Daozi has defeated Princess Duoduo of Xiping! " "Ling Shiji of the Celestial Strategy Manor has lost as well!

" "Lin Qiuhe has been wounded by the Daozi!

" .

.

.

After a long while, at last no one came to report, but the faces of the assembly had turned extremely grim.

That no one came to report meant that no academy student continued to challenge Daozi Lin Xuan. The students of the Imperial Academy had had all their pride and sharpness knocked out of them by this youthful Daozi, and could only watch helplessly as he blocked the gate. A chancellor furrowed his brow and said, "Our academy has been open for so many years and has produced countless experts as pillars of the state. Can it be that we cannot pick out a single one able to stand against the Daozi? " A director shook his head and said, "There are some—over the years there have always been three or five geniuses no less brilliant than the Daoist sect's Daozi.

But those people are no longer students; they have left the academy and taken office at court. Our academy is not like the jianghu sects, where there is no such thing as leaving the sect. Once a man leaves our academy, he ceases to be a student.

" Everyone let out a turbid breath. Daoist Lingyun sighed, "Are we simply to let this Daozi block our gate? Isn't that just too humiliating? " Everyone fell silent. Suddenly, Zen Master Faqing of the Qingyang Hall spoke: "This matter should be reported to Imperial Preceptor Jingping without delay. Have some disciples of Imperial Preceptor Jingping come; perhaps they can defeat the Daozi.

" "Great monk, the disciples of Imperial Preceptor Jingping are not students of our academy. Even if they defeated the Daoist sect's Daozi, could you make the Daoist sect accept it?

" Just at that moment, a tower ship drifted over outside and docked at the summit of Jade Mountain.

Several young men walked down from the tower ship and came straight to the Imperial Academy Hall. The one at the lead bowed and said, "Respected teachers, we are disciples of Imperial Preceptor Jingping.

Having heard that the Daoist sect's Daozi has come to make trouble, our teacher ordered us here. " The chancellors, directors, and secretaries in the hall exchanged glances, then turned in unison toward the young grandmaster.

A secretary said in a deep voice, "Grand Chancellor, the disciples of Imperial Preceptor Jingping are not students of our academy.

Whether they may fight on behalf of the academy is a matter for the Grand Chancellor alone to decide. " Chancellor Bashan, a man with a great beard, suddenly slammed the table and objected in a stern voice, "Nonsense! What would it matter even if a disciple of Imperial Preceptor Jingping defeated the Daoist sect's Daozi? Jingping's disciples were cultivated according to old conventions and taught by Jingping alone—no different from how the sects cultivate their disciples!

If word of this gets out and reaches the ears of the Daoist sect, they are certain to rebel! If the Daoist sect rebels, every righteous faction under heaven will rise up! Who is to bear this crime? Who can bear it?

" That secretary retorted in anger, "You are a chancellor, so you think yourself in the right. Then tell us, what should be done? " "What should be done? " Chancellor Bashan laughed heartily and said in a stern voice, "Whatever we do is better than what you secretaries do! You secretaries spend every day minding that one building of tattered books, claiming to research Daoist arts and divine powers—what have you produced in all these years, not a damn thing! If you had any real ability and could research a divine power to counter the Innate Grand Mystery Art, our students would not be stuck in this embarrassment, without a single recourse against a man blocking their gate! " In the Imperial Academy Hall, the secretaries burst into fury and shouted back one after another, "The arts and divine powers we researched were passed on to you, weren't they?

It is you directors and chancellors who are incompetent, unable to teach a single good student!

" "Well said!

And what about the Imperial Medical Hall—what good are they? Day in and day out they teach the students to refine pills and gather herbs, and do none of the real work. Every little while one student is poisoned and spits blood, another is poisoned and his face turns black! And they still have the face to collect their salaries! " The physicians of the Imperial Medical Hall were also directors. Hearing this, they flew into a rage.

Physician You shook with anger and said in a quavering voice, "If not for our Imperial Medical Hall saving the dying and healing the wounded, a good half of these students would have died from poisoning or qi deviation alone! You secretaries are useless—we asked you to compile the pill formulas and prescriptions of the various teachings, and you delayed again and again. The Empress Dowager's illness was cured by a mere boy.

Why don't you just die? " "Old wretch, it is you who should die first! Your Imperial Medical Hall could not cure the Empress Dowager; a mere boy cured her. Why don't you pluck out an eyelash and hang yourself with it?

" . . . The people in the Imperial Academy Hall fell into a chaotic brawl of quarreling, and the longer they quarreled, the hotter their tempers blazed. The several disciples of Imperial Preceptor Jingping watched them, exchanging bewildered looks. After a moment, Chancellor Bashan suddenly laughed and said, "Enough, enough, stop quarreling.

If we can't come up with a plan, isn't there still the one in charge here? Grand Chancellor, what do you say? " Everyone looked toward the young grandmaster on the sage's seat.

The young grandmaster rubbed his temples, clearly given a headache by their bickering, and said, "The disciples of Imperial Preceptor Jingping are not academy students, after all.

If they were to go out and defeat the Daoist sect's Daozi, the Daoist sect would seize the opportunity to rebel. If so, their rebellion would have a just name, and the empire would be thrown onto the defensive.

Therefore, invite Imperial Preceptor Jingping to come. " Everyone was taken aback, puzzled by his meaning. Even the disciples of Imperial Preceptor Jingping wore confused expressions.

"The Daoist sect are all stiff-necked people. " The young grandmaster rose to his feet and smiled. "They recognize only what is set in stone; if you try to deceive them with tricks, it will never pass. Since that is so, let us meet them with real swords and real spears. It has been a long time since Imperial Preceptor Jingping last lectured at our academy, has it not? In the old days he came often, teaching Dao arts, sword techniques, and divine powers.

Some of the students can even be counted as his half-disciples. You few, go back and invite Imperial Preceptor Jingping to come and give instruction to the academy students.

" The several disciples of Imperial Preceptor Jingping were startled, then bowed in assent, left the hall one after another, boarded the tower ship, and departed.